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“A totally gripping psychological thriller full of jaw-dropping twists, that will keep you reading late into the night.”—The Bride by John Nicholl

“The Bride” was an unexpected surprise! There were so many puzzles I wasn’t able to solve. The emotional first chapter is heartwrenching. Daisy is writing a book, for her unborn child, from a prison cell while awaiting her murder trial! Who can stop there?

Daisy and James return from their honeymoon with a long and happy life ahead of them. Daisy is expecting and they are both looking forward to this new chapter in their lives. Then James is killed and Daisy is a 23-year-old widow. The story goes along at a fairly steady pace until nearing the end.

The explosive ending is a jaw-dropper that I didn’t predict! This psychological thriller is filled with so many twists and surprises. My head is still spinning! John Nicholl did a fantastic job with the clever plot and red herrings that are scattered throughout the story.

Sincere thanks to Boldwood Books and John Nicholl for this gifted ARC that was provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

#TheBride #JohnNicholl #NetGalley #boldwoodbooks #rachelsrandomresources #booktour #booktourhost #blogtour #giftedARC #ad #honestreview #thrillerfriendsunite #mysteryandthrills #thrillerobsessedbookishclub #justfinished #newrelease #igbookreels #thriller #suspense #mystery #lovetoread #bookworms #lovebooks #lovetoreadbooks #fortheloveofbooks #booknerd #bookreviewer #booksbooksandmorebooks #instabook #readaholic

Well, this was certainly a thrilling read. I enjoyed this one as there were so manyntwists and turns and I still have so many questions after that ending. The Bride isn't old from Daisy's pov as she's on trial for murder. I loved the build up, with an idyllic life in Wales, to the perfect honeymoon, then the panic and loss of a missing husband and nursing to rebuild a life. But all is not as it seems. There were so many thrills along the way, I couldn't read fast enough.

The Bride is a tension filled and immersive thriller that chilled me all the way to my bones. I was reading late into the night with the lights on for this one because I just had to find out whodunit and I had no idea. I loved the characters until I didn't and the creepy undertones had me feeling suspicious of everyone. The atmosphere is electric! The pace was fast all the way through but the ending was out of this world. I couldn't get enough even though it terrified me to the core.

This is written as a series of letters as Daisy writes her tale to her unborn child, as she sits in jail accused of murder.
Her new husband James has just found out that Daisy is expecting their first child, as they return from their honeymoon. On the way back to the Welsh cottage they stop off, and when James doesn't appear, Daisy starts to panic and eventually realises he has gone missing.
Daisy is lovely, I felt for her throughout. Sometimes you get infuriated when women are naive, but she says throughout how blind she was which was refreshing. I loved the relationship with her family too.
James and Oliver were both horrible characters, i didn't really feel any sadness at James' disappearance and wanted to shout bad words very loudly at my kindle to tell Daisy off!
However when the end came I was taken by surprise.
I would like to have known more about why James' past was so mysterious, there were lots of hints to various things, but none of them were really answered.
Apart from that, this was a really tense, fast paced, addictive thrilling read.

Absolutely brilliant.
This book is immensely readable, it is gripping and the book never slows down at all. There is a lot of suspense, although I felt the ending a little anticlimactic.
The characters were likeable on the whole, and when they weren't, they added plenty of tension instead!

Daisy Earl, 23, is pregnant, a widow, and in prison for murder. When Daisy was 16, she met James, 17, when he moved from London to her town in Wales. They quickly became friends that soon turned to love. They had so much in common. They loved to read and they were good students. James went to university in Swansea to study history. He wanted to be a teacher. Daisy joined him the following year. They got a flat together and she studied to become a nurse. They graduated and got jobs. However, James was unable to find a teaching job so he worked as a leisure center. They decide to get married and his family gifts them a surprise honeymoon which they enjoy. Daisy discovered she was pregnant on their wedding day. While James is skeptical at first as he feels it’s too soon for them to start a family, he finally accepts the news. On the drive back home from the airport after they return from their honeymoon, they stop for coffee and James says he needs some air and will meet her inside. But he doesn’t show up. Where is James? The police are brought in. When James is found dead, Daisy is devastated. But she is determined to carry on for her and the baby. But life is not finished hurting her. What’s next?

The concept of this story is good but I was left with questions about James’s early life and the ending also left me wondering what really happened. This is the first book I have read by this author and I look forward to reading more. I just hope that the next book I read doesn’t leave me with questions.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I have read all John's books and haven't been disappointed yet. This was different compared to his previous books and less dark but that doesn't mean I liked it any less. I won't rehash the story line as you can read the book but I couldn't put it down at all, I had to read at any opportunity I had.
I didn't see the twist coming and I was brilliant right the way through!

3.5⭐
Genre ~ psychological thriller
Publication date ~ June 28, 2023
Page Count ~ 282
Audio length ~ 8 hours 51 minutes
Narrator ~ Bethan Rose Young
POV ~ single 1st
Featuring ~ pregnancy, assault

Daisy unreliably narrates the story as if she is speaking directly to her unborn baby with her side of what went down with their relationship and James's disappearance. I think this kind of writing style is odd because how are you supposed to remember exactly what you said and did years ago?

James is not depicted as a likable fella, so I wasn't too upset when he goes missing. I did not care for the lodger she takes on as a way to make ends meet. I figured out who they were way back at the funeral, but I can see how that red herring could go unnoticed.

Overall, I wasn't blown away, but I liked it well enough. A bit slow in parts, but there was a nice last little zing at the end.

Side note ~ I had just read The Cellar not too long ago and I liked that this book also included the same detectives here. Maybe all of his books do if they take place in the same town.

The book was an interesting thriller.

The Bride, Daisy is happily married to her long time boyfriend, James. She realizes that she is expecting on her wedding day. But everything good in her life goes stumbling down when her husband goes missing.

The story was interesting as the letter written by Daisy hinted at the problems that she had to face, but cleverly hid how it all changed. While reading, every assumption that one makes is proven wrong with an unexpected ending.

Overall, it was a good psychological thriller.

I really enjoyed this book, would never have guessed the twist. Was a little slow in places but the character building was great.
Can't wait to read more from this author

So this book drew me in and I was completely thrown by the ending as the whole thing had not been as I imagined. It’s an exciting read about a missing husband and his grief stricken pregnant wife who needs answers about what happened to him. As she befriends an old school friend of her husband things take a very different turn to what she ever expected. Loved it.

Thanks to boldwood books and netgalley.. I love this authors books. This was a fantastic read, a physcological thriller at its best. Most of the time, whilst reading this, my heart was in my mouth. The author certainly knows how to write books in this genre, in my opinion . Full of twists
When Daisy and james come back from their honeymoon, after pulling in to a services, james disappears., his phone is smashed and underneath their car. Where has james gone??? Why??? When Daisy gets a knock at the door, she knows the police have found a body, but is it James's??. Praise again for john nicholl, highley recommend

★★★★ 3.5 stars (rounded up)

Here comes the bride
all dressed in white
now she's back from honeymoon
the groom nowhere in sight...

I only discovered John Nicholl last year with the Doctor series (it still gives me the chills just thinking about them) and he fast became a favourite author. He brings a unique style to his storytelling that is gritty and sometimes confronting but always filled with tension. I have yet to read his crime fiction series having only delved into his standalone psychological thrillers...each of them bringing a level of intensity that is unique to his signature style.

THE BRIDE is a tale in which tells the story of Daisy and her husband James, their love story from the beginning right up to the end. It unfolds through Daisy's eyes retold chapter and verse as if she is writing the book, which I guess in a sense she is. Each chapter is dripping with tension and shrouded in the mystery of what happened to James.

Daisy and James' love story began when she was just fifteen and he sixteen, moving from London to Carmarthen in Wales. It went without saying that the longer they stayed together they would remain together and as the natural course follows, as does a wedding. After completing their respective university degrees, they married on 2nd January in an old village church and then the following morning set off to the Canary Islands for a weeks honeymoon. On the morning of their wedding she discovers she is pregnant. She is beyond excited and can't wait to tell James but she wants to wait for the right moment. She tells him on their honeymoon and while she doesn't get the reaction she expected, she is sure he is happy about it once the news settles in.

But all too soon their week in the sun and honeymoon comes to an end and so they arrive back in Cardiff later that evening. On the drive back home, Daisy has to stop at a service centre for the call of a nature (goes with being pregnant) and James asks her to get him a coffee. She orders a pot of tea for herself and a coffee for him, grabs a table and waits. And waits. And waits some more. After a quarter of an hour or so, she calls his mobile which just rings out. Abandoning their hot drinks, she heads back to the car which she finds locked up (as expected) and no sign of James. She calls him again...and this time she hears the unmistakable ringtone coming from below the car. Crouching down she finds his phone under the car, its screen smashed. And still no sign of James.

So what does she do? Any normal person would call the police. But Daisy calls her father. I'm not sure what she expected him to do but he makes the drive to where she is and they search together. After two hours, they finally decide to call the police. The investigation seems to go nowhere for several weeks until one day a knock on the door brings the news she had been dreading. James' body has been found.

Now Daisy is sitting in a police cell awaiting trial for murder. But what happened to lead up to this moment? Has she been accused of her husband's murder? Or is there something else going on? And if she didn't kill James, then who did?

From her prison cell, Daisy writes this step by step account of hers and James', their wedding, their honeymoon, his disappearance and his subsequent death and everything that followed. She feels that her story must be told in her words while she still has the chance to tell it. For everyone to believe that she isn't a killer. For the sake of her unborn child.

THE BRIDE begins with a slow pace that picks up more as it goes, particular in the second half. I read this book in one sitting despite its slow start. And you may think you know the direction it is taking but true to Nicholls' form, in his unique style he is still able to throw in that twist at the very end that will leave you scratching your head and going "what just happened?"

The truth will out...

I would like to thank #JohnNicholl, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #TheBride in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

I’ve read a lot of this authors books and they are normally pretty disturbing, this one is much less so and I enjoyed the change. The story is told by the main protagonist Daisy Earl; chapter one introduces Daisy who is in jail awaiting trial for murder and wants to tell her truth so her child will know she is innocent. This is a real slow burn but I found it completely addictive, I wanted to know what would happen to Daisy and why James was murdered. I thought it was well written and well constructed, it definitely worked for me.

Briefly, returning from their honeymoon Daisy and James stop at a service station. Daisy goes in to order coffee but when James doesn’t arrive she goes looking for him but he is nowhere. When the police get involved a body is found and murder is the verdict. Daisy is completely distraught and gets support from an unexpected quarter, an old university friend of James’s.

Daisy, as our only voice, felt to me like an unreliable narrator, but was she? Her story is told as her recollection of the past then her thought about what she felt she should have realised at the time. I didn’t love Daisy as a character but I still wanted her to get to bring her child up. As the book moved toward to end the twists and turns came thick and fast with a shocking conclusion. A very enjoyable read.
4.5⭐️

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. Did I enjoy this book? Well let's just say that I woke up at 4:30 am and had to finish it!!! Yes, this book was really amazing and the twists at the very end were crazy good!!!! I highly recommend!

This story is the first book by John Nicholl that I have picked up, and it was interesting to have the opportunity to find out why he is such a popular writer.

The book is a psychological thriller, told from the perspective of Daisy. Although she's only 23, Daisy is already a wife, and a widow, and is soon to be a mother. She is desperate to clear her name, so that her unborn child can be spared not simply the loss of its father to murder, but the additional loss of its mother to a prison sentence.

James and Daisy date each other throughout their college years and decide to get married thereafter. On the day of the wedding, Daisy finds out she is pregnant, but decides not to tell James just yet because she is not entirely sure of his reaction.

During the honeymoon, the issue is put on the backburner because they are having such a good time. On the way home, they stop at a service station, and James and Daisy head off to take care of different tasks. James never returns. His body is discovered, but it is not clear quite what happened.

Meanwhile, after James' death, his onetime friend Oliver shows up, and begins to help Daisy through a difficult time. Daisy is aware that James and Oliver had a falling out (which is why he was not invited to their wedding). So, is it possible that Oliver has an agenda of his own?

How Daisy ends up as a suspect, and what lies behind James' death is explained quite late in the book, along with a very effective twist.

This was an interesting story and worth reading for the eventual reveals, but the first half of the book would definitely have benefited from some editing. Things pick up in the second half though, and overall, it delivers as a good thriller.

I really enjoyed this book , had me hooked from the start . I loved the characters and the sudden twist in the story . I was glad of the outcome of the trial but wow that twist again at the end of the book . Definitely recommend this book and can’t wait to read more from this author . 5 stars from me

The truth is that I loved James with my whole heart. We were soulmates: meant to be together forever. On the morning of our wedding, I found out I was carrying his child. But it's time to tell my side of the story. It's time everyone found out what happened on that wedding day, on our honeymoon, and on that fateful last drive together. It's time everyone found out about the secrets, about the threat that loomed over our marriage. It's time everyone found out who killed James.

This novel was a perfect blend of mystery and suspense. Told from Daisy's point of view and it's written in the first person. All the way through this book you'll keep guessing, and you might even think you have it worked out. There's lots of twists and the pace is on the steady side. The first half of the book is the backstory to James and Daisy's relationship and the events that took place up until James's disappearance. In the second half, secrets were revealed, and we find out what really happened.

I would like to thank #Netgalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #JohnNicholl for my ARC of #TheBride in exchange for an honest review.

There’s no easy way of saying this but I didn’t like this book.

I’ve enjoyed a lot of Johns books in the past but this was not for me unfortunately.

Daisy and James have just been married. On honeymoon they discover that Daisy is pregnant. James doesn't get the job he wanted but they can make things work right?
Coming home from honeymoon they stop at a service station. And then James disappears. No trace to be found.
Daisy tried to go on with life, trying to manage the best way she knows how. Then she bumps into Oliver. Daisy and James both knew Oliver from university. Oliver wasn't anyone's best friend, but yet he keeps popping up every chance he gets